RALEIGH
— State
Transportation Secretary Tony Tata today named former Durham mayor and retired
Navy captain Nick Tennyson Chief Deputy Secretary of Support. One of Tennyson’s
key responsibilities will be to lead the development and implementation of a
25-year transportation infrastructure plan.

“Nick
has a proven ability to build close working relationships and manage
large-scale initiatives,” said Tata. “These will be key attributes as we carry
out Governor McCrory’s directive to establish a long-range plan for North
Carolina that builds on the department’s previous efforts to leverage our
infrastructure for greater economic investment and growth.”

He
will oversee five business functions: the Division of Motor Vehicles, strategic
planning, information technology, fiscal, and intergovernmental affairs and
budget coordination. Tennyson will collaborate closely with Chief Deputy
Secretary of Operations Jim Trogdon.

Tennyson
served four years as mayor of Durham, from 1997-2001 and co-founded the
Metropolitan Coalition of Mayors with McCrory, then mayor of Charlotte and
former Chapel Hill mayor Rosemary Waldorf. He has also served as vice-president
of government relations for the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, executive
director of Triangle Advocates for Citizens of Tomorrow Inc. Prior to that, he
was a home builder and developer and most recently executive vice-president for
the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham counties.

Tennyson
has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Duke University and Master of
Arts in Human Resources Management from Pepperdine University. He starts April
1 at a salary of $123,000. A previous position for deputy secretary for
administration was repurposed to create this position to help the department
run more efficiently and deliver the 25-year transportation infrastructure
plan.